By Aida Pelaez-Fernandez and Diego Oré MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Hurricane Erick strengthened rapidly into a major Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday as it churned toward Mexico's southern Pacific Coast,

Hurricane Erick has formed in the Pacific Ocean and is expected to rapidly strengthen, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Erick is nearing Mexico's Pacific coast on a forecast track to make landfall along the country's southern states.